Peter Linder

In this paper, we present an electric-thermal drill with a novel design of a melting head that was developed within the EnEx-RANGE project. The design combines a short melting head with a large surface area of parabolic shape. It was succesfully tested in the laboratory as well as on Alpine glaciers (Langenferner and Mittelbergferner) and at the Ross Ice Shelf in Antarctica. In all these different environments, a high melting speed per specific power of typically 8.8 cm3 w−1 h−1 is achieved that is close to the ideal maximum bound of ~10.5–11.8 cm3 w−1 h−1 when neglecting all heat losses. It has also been demonstrated that the melting probe can be operated with typical equipment of small-scale field camps including a small power generator.

EPJ Web of Conferences, open-access proceedings in physics and astronomy

EPJ Web of Conferences, open-access proceedings in physics and astronomy

Background/Aims: Common systems for the quantification of cellular contraction rely on animal-based models, complex experimental setups or indirect approaches. The herein presented CellDrum technology for testing mechanical tension of cellular monolayers and thin tissue constructs has the potential to scale-up mechanical testing towards medium-throughput analyses. Using hiPS-Cardiac Myocytes (hiPS-CMs) it represents a new perspective of drug testing and brings us closer to personalized drug medication. Methods: In the present study, monolayers of self-beating hiPS-CMs were grown on ultra-thin circular silicone membranes and deflect under the weight of the culture medium. Rhythmic contractions of the hiPS-CMs induced variations of the membrane deflection. The recorded contraction-relaxation-cycles were analyzed with respect to their amplitudes, durations, time integrals and frequencies. Besides unstimulated force and tensile stress, we investigated the effects of agonists and antagonists acting on Ca²⁺ channels (S-Bay K8644/verapamil) and Na⁺ channels (veratridine/lidocaine). Results: The measured data and simulations for pharmacologically unstimulated contraction resembled findings in native human heart tissue, while the pharmacological dose-response curves were highly accurate and consistent with reference data. Conclusion: We conclude that the combination of the CellDrum with hiPS-CMs offers a fast, facile and precise system for pharmacological, toxicological studies and offers new preclinical basic research potential.

Water filled caverns and crevasses in glaciers are miraculous habitats, which can accommodate highly specialized and adapted microbes and bacteria. The challenge for scientists is to obtain a sample of this water without contaminating it with surface bacteria, as well as to protect the sample from oxygen and sun light. “IceMole” is a combined melting and drilling probe that can drill a bore hole with flexible trajectory under the ice and allows breaking into the crevasse from below or from the side to obtain clean and unaltered sample liquids, unlike standard drilling equipment. For this, the probe can travel distances in the ice of up to 80 m. A complex navigation system is needed to pinpoint the target. This paper focuses on the development and test of the IceMole navigation system, which enables precise probe navigation through the ice. This navigation system covers dead reckoning (DR) using inertial sensors, magnetometers and axial feed information, as well as acoustic positioning and reconnaissance, and sensor fusion. Navigation inside of glaciers is a special application of mining and borehole navigation. The special application and combination of the individual parts of the navigation suite make the project unique.

A fundamental question addressed in this study was the feasibility of preterm birth prediction based on a noncontact investigation of fetal membranes in situ. Although the phenomena of preterm birth and the premature rupture of the fetal membrane are well known, currently, there are no diagnostic tools for their prediction. The aim of this study was to assess whether optical coherence tomography could be used for clinical investigations of high-risk pregnancies. The thickness of fetal membranes was measured in parallel by optical coherence tomography and histological techniques for the following types of birth: normal births, preterm births without premature ruptures and births at full term with premature rupture of membrane. Our study revealed that the membrane thickness correlates with the birth type. Normal births membranes were statistically significantly thicker than those belonging to the other two groups. Thus, in spite of almost equal duration of gestation of the normal births and the births at full term with premature rupture, the corresponding membrane thicknesses differed. This difference is possibly related to previously reported water accumulation in the membranes. The optical coherence tomography results were encouraging, suggesting that this technology could be used in future to predict and distinguish between different kinds of births.